Member meeting notes for 4-14-18

This was our first general workday and member meeting of the season. The meeting was briefly joined by one of the turtles, who was wandering by, possibly looking for someplace to lay some eggs?

In attendance: Felicia, Sarge, Sarah, Jon, Marga, Matt, Cassandra, Rita, Cathy, Maddalena, Bill, Pedro, Sam, Michael, Ross and Bob. Facilitating: Marga

Committee notes: Landscape

For the workday, Bill’s volunteer crew moved trees and the hot tub planter away from the area where the solar pavilion is going in (right by our last remaining willow, ahead of the entrance to the plot area). The big hole there was dug for soil samples per city requirements. The pavilion framing will proceed as soon as we get an OK from the city, which could be any day now. Then the panels will be installed. We’ll need to fundraise for a battery – may approach local businesses. The pavilion will be a 20×20 structure supplying power to the garden and granting us independence from the grid. We can have a solar-powered movie night, use it to power amps, and ride out the zombie apocalypse in the garden.
This season we’ll need to move the Hügel beds in to allow for the installation of the new fence (which will happen at or after the end of this season, in the fall).
Bill got us a genius donation of sod from Loverboy (the bar/pizza place around the corner), which had held a “Garden party” event with sod covering the bar. Nearly covers the lawn – Bill seeded the remaining patch. for sod.
We agreed the dome can go on the lawn since it’s an open latticework structure and won’t shade the lawn. It will remain fenced in for one month and will be open to the public for one day, May 12.
Water is a critical issue. The rain barrels were empty and that new sod will need watering. We have put a request in with Parks to get it turned on early. Have to be conservative with water until that happens.
Prima is doing really well – the moss is catching on. We agreed that we need a workshop with her installers on how to take care of the moss and the pump system.

Membership

Cylinders will be changed and as of the next member meeting (moved to Sunday, May 13 because of the Earth Celebrations Ecological Cities event on Saturday, May 12), old keys will no longer work and new keys will be distributed to members in good standing.

Treasury

We’re pretty broke once we’re done paying for the pavilion (which came from a grant). Should explore grant opportunities, though it’s late in the year for many. We can also do more MERCH – T-shirts, etc.

Events

For the April 22 LUNGS Spring Awakening they asked if we could make hats.
We need volunteers for the May 12 Ecological City to portray a flood – 7-10 adults and kids should do it. Bill, Sarge, Ross and Felicia said they’re game.
We agreed to host an NYC Civic Corps Program event on May 24 with 80-100 attendees. Rita and Felicia will steward.
Felicia wants to do a fish fry in August.

Sustainability

Will include compost, along with pond, bees, etc., and activism/outreach.
Having their first meeting this Saturday, the 21^st, at 11am.
Focus will be on sustainability and permaculture, in keeping with the garden’s historic mission. We have space, can host panels and events, etc.
We had a discussion of the Albany march (Monday, April 23) demanding that Cuomo do more on climate change, shared some terrifying projections and statistics.(13ft sea level rise by 2040 in NYC), talked about how climate change is tied to America’s foreign wars and the war at home against communities of color, etc. Jon made a beautiful banner for Albany, needs help carrying it. Sarge said he would go.